ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. degree — an amount
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. season — in sport
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. toast — bread
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — temperature
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. season — of the year
  15. race — a contest
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. race — humankind
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. race — the arms race
  20. vault — a safe
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. snap — to click
  24. toast — the most admired

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com